Ed Wait, at right, of Rock City Falls holds up a nice size rainbow trout as he and his fishing partner Dan Lessard of Ballston Spa work toward catching their limit at Moreau Lake State Park in Moreau, NY Tuesday April 23, 2013. (John Carl D'Annibale / Times Union) less

Ed Wait, at right, of Rock City Falls holds up a nice size rainbow trout as he and his fishing partner Dan Lessard of Ballston Spa work toward catching their limit at Moreau Lake State Park in Moreau, NY ... more

Photo: John Carl D'Annibale

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Tracy Gourlay of Wilton finishes her 3-hour hike through Moreau Lake State Park along the lake's south shore in Moreau, NY Tuesday April 23, 2013. (John Carl D'Annibale / Times Union)

Tracy Gourlay of Wilton finishes her 3-hour hike through Moreau Lake State Park along the lake's south shore in Moreau, NY Tuesday April 23, 2013. (John Carl D'Annibale / Times Union)

Photo: John Carl D'Annibale

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Moreau State Park, which is acquiring more land.

Moreau State Park, which is acquiring more land.

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State park grows by 200 acres

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Moreau

Visitors to Moreau Lake State Park may want to bring hiking boots along with sun screen.

New York bought the mountainous ridge between the Mt. McGregor prison and Moreau Lake from Real MacKenzie and Michael McKenzie, who are family members. The acquisition of hemlock-northern hardwood forest brings the park's total acreage to 4,463. It will expand hiking options and protect open space where the county meets the Adirondack foothills, Harvey said.

"As Saratoga County grows, it's critical that we balance economic development with natural resource protection," she said.

The purchase comes near the start of camping season. The state is completing a new pavilion for outdoor classes near the park's nature center, an upgraded campground station and heated restroom building near the main parking area. Those projects cost $550,000.

The park is visited by about 400,000 outdoor enthusiasts each year. Preserving Palmertown Range was named a priority in the New York State Open Space Plan, and will allow stakeholders to start planning a long-distance Palmertown Ridge Trail. The countywide trail will be used for recreation and transportation, said Maria Trabka, executive director of Saratoga P.L.A.N., a land preservation group. "The Palmertown Ridge Trail is a crucial link in what we call the 'alternative Northway,' which will eventually connect Moreau with Mechanicville and beyond," Trabka said.

Moreau Lake State Park received money from the New York Works fund last year to repair crumbling roads that take motorists around its campground sites. Improvements were also made to the facility's beachfront parking area. The new pavilion will enable school groups to hold outdoor programs. It will be available for the public to rent.

"Moreau Lake State Park is a tremendous asset for those who live in and around Saratoga County," said Erik Kulleseid, executive director of the Alliance for New York State Parks, a program of the Open Space Institute. "It is also an important part of the local tourism economy, particularly since it offers one of state park's most popular camping destinations."